A Deal with the Devil
Chapter 7: Resistance is Futile; a Vision and a Reunion
Noin was warned that another might be using the bathing facilities. What she did not expect was whom…
"Lucrezia," He stands and stretches luxuriously. Her eyes roam over his perfectly sculpted body, her hands ache to touch his skin. "Come to bathe with me?"
"Not specifically with you…" Her voice comes out small and breathy to her ears. Zechs steps forward with a seductive smile on his face, mounting the marble steps that bring him out of the pool. He stands there, rivulets of lavender scented water trickling down his skin, looking like the River God in bedtime stories Lucrezia had once heard.
He reaches out to her, clasps her tiny hand in his much larger one, and pulls her closer. Her breath is coming in rapid gasps as his deft fingers until the knot of her belt. The robe drops to the ground, forgotten. He utters one word, "Come," and he draws her gently into the water. Little ripples float away from their bodies and floating candles follow the ripples' paths.
Zechs reaches out and unbraids Noin's hair and then rubs soap into the loose strands. He tips her chin back with his hand and pours water carefully over her head. He then does the same with her body, treating her as glass that may break if handled in the wrong way. She makes no move to help him, not knowing why he needs to do this just realizing that he does. When he is done, he lifts her out of the water and wraps her carefully in an oversized towel. He slips in own clothes on and gathers her up in his arms, striding from the room.
She luxuriates in the feeling of warmth and unconditional love he is projecting like a tangible thing from every pore of his body. Her eyes grow heavy and she blinks slowly once, twice.
They reach their own chamber and still Zechs doesn't speak, merely lays Lucia gently on the bed and kisses her softly on the forehead. He moves to the wardrobe and pulls something out, a dress, a beautiful but simple cream colored dress. He dresses her quickly, then moves to re-braid her hair.
"There," He says finally with a smile and she glances at her reflection in the mirror. The dress drapes about her petite frame like a living thing, accenting every good quality about her body. Her amethyst eyes snap with quick intelligence and purity unresolved in any other woman Zechs had seen. Her dark hair hangs in a simple french braid down her back and long, sensitive fingers reach out to brush a fly-away strand back into position. All in all, she is absolutely stunning. As a last touch, Zechs reaches around and clasps a necklace at her throat. It is an amethyst love knot set in filigreed silver, dangling from a delicate sliver chain. Noin touches it reverently and a gasp escapes her throat as she examines the stone's fiery beauty.
" There," He says softly, placing his hands on her shoulders, "You are ready to once again see those most dear to you and learn what they know, only this time not as a Lieutenant or a Preventor or even an Instructor but as the Princess everyone knew you were."
She can do nothing but nod. He leads her from the room and down to where the rest of the Immortals are waiting. Zechs presents her with nothing more than a nod but Noin cares only about the little knot of people she is standing before.
"Duo?" Her voice is a bare whisper. The braided pilot nods, smiling. "And Hilde! Wufei, Heero, Sally, Trowa, Cathy, Relena…" Her friends one by one step forward until there is only one left. "And Quatre…"
"Noin," Quatre steps forward and brushes the back of his hand against her cheek. "It's good to see you again."
"And you," She fervently replies, grasping Quatre's hand and squeezing hard. "All of you! I was so afraid, when you all started disappearing…"
"We know," Sally takes Noin's other hand. "I'm so sorry I couldn't tell you what was going on Luc, it's just that…I thought that Zechs should be the one to explain."
"It's alright Sally," Noin embraces her friend. "I'm just glad to be here now." She then turns with a joyful smile and holds her arms out for everyone else to join the circle. They crowd around her and she embraces each in turn. All of a sudden, Quatre pulls back and cries out as if in pain.
"Quatre?" Zechs is immediately at his side. "What is it?"
"A vision…"He says gasping for breath. "Lucifer and… the Night Spawn marching…marching against the master…the Princess captured… forced to fight against us…" He cries out again and this time it is Noin who is at his side.
"Quatre, breathe." She commands, her fingers pressing his temples. "Just breathe." For an insane moment, when the others look at her they see her with wings, angel wings folded against her back. But then the vision is gone and Quatre is still, cradled in Noin's protective arms.
"I'm sorry," She murmurs, tears falling down her pale cheeks. Trowa moves forward, lifts Quatre up, and carries him from the room. Zechs kneels at her side, pulls her to him and she cries against him as the Prince rocks her back and forth, back and forth, trying to sooth her. For Noin had been connected to Quatre and the pain he experienced from the vision projected itself also to her. A moment later, Zechs has also left the room, his Lucia clutching his neck, exhausted from crying and too hurt to move.
He lays her in bed and covers her face in tender kisses. "It's alright, you had no idea…" Zechs lowers his face to her neck and carefully drains just enough of her blood to weaken her further, so she will sleep. She gasps softly but then does fall into a deep sleep. Zechs lays beside her, feeling her breathe steadily against him, wondering what the vision could have meant. He resolves to ask the Master as soon as he can and then, he too sleeps…
*
A/N= Ok, crappy ending for a chapter, I know. Suggestions for a better one?
~Rebel Storm
Chapter 7: Resistance is Futile; a Vision and a Reunion
Noin was warned that another might be using the bathing facilities. What she did not expect was whom…
"Lucrezia," He stands and stretches luxuriously. Her eyes roam over his perfectly sculpted body, her hands ache to touch his skin. "Come to bathe with me?"
"Not specifically with you…" Her voice comes out small and breathy to her ears. Zechs steps forward with a seductive smile on his face, mounting the marble steps that bring him out of the pool. He stands there, rivulets of lavender scented water trickling down his skin, looking like the River God in bedtime stories Lucrezia had once heard.
He reaches out to her, clasps her tiny hand in his much larger one, and pulls her closer. Her breath is coming in rapid gasps as his deft fingers until the knot of her belt. The robe drops to the ground, forgotten. He utters one word, "Come," and he draws her gently into the water. Little ripples float away from their bodies and floating candles follow the ripples' paths.
Zechs reaches out and unbraids Noin's hair and then rubs soap into the loose strands. He tips her chin back with his hand and pours water carefully over her head. He then does the same with her body, treating her as glass that may break if handled in the wrong way. She makes no move to help him, not knowing why he needs to do this just realizing that he does. When he is done, he lifts her out of the water and wraps her carefully in an oversized towel. He slips in own clothes on and gathers her up in his arms, striding from the room.
She luxuriates in the feeling of warmth and unconditional love he is projecting like a tangible thing from every pore of his body. Her eyes grow heavy and she blinks slowly once, twice.
They reach their own chamber and still Zechs doesn't speak, merely lays Lucia gently on the bed and kisses her softly on the forehead. He moves to the wardrobe and pulls something out, a dress, a beautiful but simple cream colored dress. He dresses her quickly, then moves to re-braid her hair.
"There," He says finally with a smile and she glances at her reflection in the mirror. The dress drapes about her petite frame like a living thing, accenting every good quality about her body. Her amethyst eyes snap with quick intelligence and purity unresolved in any other woman Zechs had seen. Her dark hair hangs in a simple french braid down her back and long, sensitive fingers reach out to brush a fly-away strand back into position. All in all, she is absolutely stunning. As a last touch, Zechs reaches around and clasps a necklace at her throat. It is an amethyst love knot set in filigreed silver, dangling from a delicate sliver chain. Noin touches it reverently and a gasp escapes her throat as she examines the stone's fiery beauty.
" There," He says softly, placing his hands on her shoulders, "You are ready to once again see those most dear to you and learn what they know, only this time not as a Lieutenant or a Preventor or even an Instructor but as the Princess everyone knew you were."
She can do nothing but nod. He leads her from the room and down to where the rest of the Immortals are waiting. Zechs presents her with nothing more than a nod but Noin cares only about the little knot of people she is standing before.
"Duo?" Her voice is a bare whisper. The braided pilot nods, smiling. "And Hilde! Wufei, Heero, Sally, Trowa, Cathy, Relena…" Her friends one by one step forward until there is only one left. "And Quatre…"
"Noin," Quatre steps forward and brushes the back of his hand against her cheek. "It's good to see you again."
"And you," She fervently replies, grasping Quatre's hand and squeezing hard. "All of you! I was so afraid, when you all started disappearing…"
"We know," Sally takes Noin's other hand. "I'm so sorry I couldn't tell you what was going on Luc, it's just that…I thought that Zechs should be the one to explain."
"It's alright Sally," Noin embraces her friend. "I'm just glad to be here now." She then turns with a joyful smile and holds her arms out for everyone else to join the circle. They crowd around her and she embraces each in turn. All of a sudden, Quatre pulls back and cries out as if in pain.
"Quatre?" Zechs is immediately at his side. "What is it?"
"A vision…"He says gasping for breath. "Lucifer and… the Night Spawn marching…marching against the master…the Princess captured… forced to fight against us…" He cries out again and this time it is Noin who is at his side.
"Quatre, breathe." She commands, her fingers pressing his temples. "Just breathe." For an insane moment, when the others look at her they see her with wings, angel wings folded against her back. But then the vision is gone and Quatre is still, cradled in Noin's protective arms.
"I'm sorry," She murmurs, tears falling down her pale cheeks. Trowa moves forward, lifts Quatre up, and carries him from the room. Zechs kneels at her side, pulls her to him and she cries against him as the Prince rocks her back and forth, back and forth, trying to sooth her. For Noin had been connected to Quatre and the pain he experienced from the vision projected itself also to her. A moment later, Zechs has also left the room, his Lucia clutching his neck, exhausted from crying and too hurt to move.
He lays her in bed and covers her face in tender kisses. "It's alright, you had no idea…" Zechs lowers his face to her neck and carefully drains just enough of her blood to weaken her further, so she will sleep. She gasps softly but then does fall into a deep sleep. Zechs lays beside her, feeling her breathe steadily against him, wondering what the vision could have meant. He resolves to ask the Master as soon as he can and then, he too sleeps…
*
A/N= Ok, crappy ending for a chapter, I know. Suggestions for a better one?
~Rebel Storm
